A COPY of the earl of Marleborough's Letter to Sir Hugh P. Dated aboard the Old James, April 24. 1665.  

To the Reader.  
THis following Letter( being a true Copy of the Original) coming accidentally to my view, and considering with myself, that it came from a dying man,[ at least so in his apprehension,] when commonly the Heart, and not the Mouth, speaketh; I held it my Duty as a Christian, as well as a Friend that honours his Memory that writ it, to present it to public view. First, That the Example of his Piety, in examining himself before the Day of battle, Whether he was prepared for death,( considering that upon this moment of Man's life Eternity doth depend) might be imitated by others. Secondly, That the Foundation he hath laid in his Letter for every Christian to build upon in order to eternal Salvation, viz. Christ Jesus in his Word, might not for the future( as he saith) be either neglected, or despised. Thirdly, That his Memory may never be forgotten, who lost his life in battle against the Dutch, June 3. 1665. when the Honour of his Prince and country lay at stake; dying not onely as a valiant soldier and English-man, but as a pious and good Christian. And lastly, now that Gods destroying Angel is walking abroad, cutting off many daily by his dreadful judgement of the Plague; let the good Counsel and Advice given by this Noble Person, to prepare for Eternity, take deep root and impression in your hearts.   

The LETTER.  
SIR,  
I Believe the goodness of your Nature, and the Friendship you have always born me, will receive with kindness this last office of your Friend. I am in health enough in body, and through the Mercy of God in Jesus Christ well-disposed in mind. This I premise, that you may be satisfied that what I writ proceeds not from any phantasying terror of mind, but from a sober resolution of what concerns myself, and earnest desire to do you more good after my death, then by mine example( God of his Mercy pardon the badness of it) in my life-time I may have done you harm. I will not speak of the Vanities of this World; your own Age and Experience will save that labour: But there is a certain thing that goes up and down in the World, called Religion, dressed and pretended fantastically, and to purposes bad enough; which yet by such evil dealing loseth not it's Being: The great and good God hath not left it without a Witness, more or less, sooner or later, in every man's bosom, to direct us in the pursuit of it, and for the avoiding those inextricable disquisitions and entanglements our own frail Reason would perplex us withal: God in his infinite Mercy hath given us his holy Word; in which, as there are many things hard to be understood, so there is enough plain and easy to be understood, to quiet our minds, and direct us concerning our future being. I confess to God and you, I have been a great Neglecter, and I fear Despiser of it; God of his infinite Mercy pardon me that dreadful fault: But when I retire myself from the noise and deceitful Vanities of the World, I find no true comfort in any other resolution then what I did derive from thence. I commend, from the bottom of my heart, the same to your( I hope) happy use. Dear Sir Hugh, Let us be more generous then to believe we die as the Beasts that perish; but with a Christian, manly, brave resolution, look to what is Eternal. I will not trouble you further. The onely great God, and holy God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, direct you to a happy end of your life, and sand us a joyful Resurrection; so prayeth your true Friend,  
Aboard the Old James, near the the cost of Holland, April 24. 1665. MARLEBOROUGH.  
I beseech you commend my love to all mine Acquaintance: Particularly, I pray that my Cousin Glascock may have a fight of this Letter, and as many of my Friends as you will, or any else that desireth it. I pray you grant this my request,    

LONDON, Printed for G. Bedell, and T. Collins, near the Middle-Temple Gate in Fleetstreet. 1665.